Carry out tray



G. A. SPILLSON CARRY OUT TRAY Sept. 22, 1964 Filed March 14 1962 IN VEN TOR.

5201255 A. Eprzzsm.

United States Patent 3,149,770 CARRY OUT TRAY George A. Spillson, Monroe, Mich, assignor to Consolidated Paper Co., Monroe, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 179,582 Claims. (Cl. 229-30) This invention relates to folded blank paperboard trays of the type used for serving customers of drive-in restaurants and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a throw-away tray of low cost paperboard that can be erected from collapsed form which will become sufliciently rigid to adequately support containers for food and beverage items during consumption.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folded and glued tray with various compartments for different types of food and beverage containers or receptacles so that each may be separately supported.

Another object of the invention is to provide a completely prefabricated tray that may be furnished to the trade in collapsed form and subsequently prepared for service by erecting it along score lines and folding compartment defining flaps inwardly into bracing relationship with side walls of the tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tray with improved compartment defining flaps and tray top supporting struts against which the flaps abut in their bracing position.

Generally speaking, the tray of the present invention comprises a rectangular paperboard blank scored and folded to provide a central top panel, side panels and bottom sections overlapped and glued to form a bottom panel. The top panel is scored and cut to provide spaced end compartments and an intermediate rectangular food compartment defined by bracing flaps hinged to the end compartments and terminating in narrow bottom engaging flaps, the end compartments being apertured to receive beverage containers and the bottom having smaller aligned knock-out holes to receive the tapered ends of conical cups or ice-cream cones. The material from one aperture in each end compartment is hinged to the top to form a vertical spacer or supporting strut having a glue flap secured with, such as between, the overlapped seam of the bottom panels, and the inner edges of the struts forming stops against which the bracing flaps abut as the flaps are moved beyond the vertical to hold the tray in erected position.

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tray in set-up position incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray shown in FIG. 1 in an initial stage of erection from collapsed position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on a line III-III of FIG. 1 illustrating one of the center compartment forming flaps in over-center locking position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on a line IVIV of FIG. 1 illustrating a top supporting struct with its glue flap secured between the overlapping edges of the bottom panel sections; and

FIG. 5 is a developed plan view of the blank from which the tray of FIG. 1 is fabricated.

Referring to the drawings, the serving tray incorporating the present invention is illustrated generally at 10,- and as particularly shown in FIG. 5, the tray 10 is fabricated from a substantially Waste free blank 15 of rectangular shape. The blank 15 includes a central top panel 20 having spaced pairs of beverage container receiving openings 22 and 24, the openings 22 being circular cut-outs while the material from openings 24 is hinged to the top panel 20 to form flap struts 25. The top panel 20 is connected along score lines 27 to side panels 29 in turn connected along score lines 30 to bottom sections 32 at opposite ends of the blank 15. When the bottom sections 32 are folded inwardly, they overlap to provide a seam 34, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which seam is glued by suitable adhesive applied along an edge of one of the panels 32 as at'35 to form a bot-tom panel 36.

The struts 25 are attached to top panel 20 along score lines 37 and are provided with additional score lines 38 to provide glue flaps 39 which may be coated on one face with adhesive at 40 for attachment to the bottom panel 36 with or between the overlapping edges of sections 32 forming the seam 34 as shown in FIG. 4. Adhesive also may be applied along the edge of the bottom face of the other panel 32 at 41 to retain flaps 39 between the seam 34, whether or not adhesive is also applied to flaps 39 at 40. Due to the use of material for struts 25 that might ordinarily be discarded to provide openings 24, the struts 25 are produced during the blanking and scoring operation at no added cost. Struts 25 serve to space and support the top and bottom panels 20 and 36, provide longitudinal support for the tray 10, and additionally the struts 25 provide stops for compartment defining partitions or flaps 42 now to be described.

Top panel 20 is die cut at 43 and 44 and also is provided with transverse score lines 45 serving as hinges for the flaps 42 which are additionally scored at 46 to form a narrow strip 48 along the free edge of each flap engageable with the inner surface of the bottom panel 36 upon erection of the tray 10.

The blank shown in FIG. 5 is first glued as above indicated and formed into its collapsed form, as shown in FIG. 2 so as to be flat and conveniently stored or shipped. The tray 10 may then be readily erected from substantially flat folded position to generally tube form as shown in FIG. 1 by relative transverse movement of the top and bottom panels, causing the side panels 29 and struts 25 to swing to their upright parallel positions. Flaps 42 are then pivoted inwardly and downwardly about score lines 45, and the strips 48 pivoted upwardly about score lines 46 to seat parallel to and against the bottom panel 36 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. As particularly shown in FIG. 3, flaps 42 are moved past the vertical or more than to over center position into engagement with the lower inner edge of struts 25. In such position, the flaps 42 span the space between side panels 29 thus forming partitions and holding the side panels 29 upright and bracing the tray against collapse. Flaps 42 are retained in bracing position due to the locking action effected by the above over center movement.

In the bottom panel 36 there may be provided cut circular knock out disks or openings 49 with their center substantially perpendicularly beneath or coaxial With the centers of the circular parts of each corresponding receptacle receiving opening 22 or 24 in the top panel 20 when in set-up position, which knock out disks or openings 49 may be used to receive the conical end portion of a paper cup or ice cream cone. These openings may further serve as finger holes to assist in the removal of a receptacle or other article from within the aligned openings 22 and 24 in the top panel 29.

While there is described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible paperboard tray comprising:

(1) a bottom panel having (a) two sections with overlapping edges, and (b) adhesive means for attaching said edges,

(2) a pair of parallel said panels hinged along one edge thereof to two opposite edges of said bottom panel, and

(3) a top panel hinged along the other edges of said pair of side panels, said top panel having (a) a cut-out strut hinged to said top panel and extending downwardly parallel to said side panels to and partly across said bottom panel, said strut having a hinged flap adhered between said overlapping edges of said two sections of said bottom panel.

2. A tray according to claim 1 wherein said cut-out strut in said top panel provides an aperture for retaining a cup-type container.

3. A tray according to claim 2 wherein said bottom panel includes knock-out holes aligned With said apertures formed in the top panel by said cut-out strut.

4. A tray according to claim 1 including at least two cut-out struts in said top panel.

5. A tray according to claim 1 wherein said top panel includes an additional aperture for retaining a cup-type container.

6. A collapsible paperboard reotangularly shaped carryout tray formed from a single substantially waste free rectangular paperboard blank comprising:

( 1) a bottom panel having (a) two sections With overlapping edges, and

(b) adhesive means for attaching said edges,

(2) a pair of parallel side panels hinged along one edge thereof to two opposite edges of said bottom panel, and

(3) a top panel hinged along the other edges of said pair of side panels, said top panel having (a) a first cut-out flap hinged to said top panel and extending downwardly parallel to said side panels to and partly across said bottom panel, said first cut-out flap having a hinged flange adhered between said overlapping edges of said two sections of said bottom panel, and

(b) a second cut-out flap hinged to said top panel and extending transversely between said side panels to said bottom panel and positionable at an angle greater than to said top panel to lock said tray into set-up position and to abut against an end of said first cut-out flap to limit its over-center position.

7. A tray according to claim 6 wherein said second out out flap include a hinged bottom panel engaging flange.

8. A carry-out tray according to claim 6 wherein said top panel comprises end compartments, and a said first cut-out flap extends from each said end compartments, and wherein a said second cut-out fiap is hinged to each said end compartment and together form a central compartment between said end compartments.

9. A carry out tray according to claim 6 wherein said cut-out flaps provide apertures in said top panel for defining compartments in said tray.

10. A carry-out tray according to claim 9 wherein said bottom panel includes a knock-out hole aligned with one of said apertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,389 Levkoff Sept. 22, 1942 2,732,994 Anderson Jan. 31, 1956 3,005,584 Coe Oct. 24, 1961 3,009,623 WenZel Nov. 21, 1961 3,100,595 Curtiss et al. Aug. 13, 1963 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 149370 September 22 1964 George A, Spillson It is hereby certified, that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 6 for "said" read side Signed and sealed this 12th day of January 1965 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE PAPERBOARD TRAY COMPRISING: (1) A BOTTOM PANEL HAVING (A) TWO SECTIONS WITH OVERLAPPING EDGES, AND (B) ADHESIVE MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID EDGES, (2) A PAIR OF PARALLEL SAID PANELS HINGED ALONG ONE EDGE THEREOF TO TWO OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL, AND (3) A TOP PANEL HINGED ALONG THE OTHER EDGES OF SAID PAIR OF SIDE PANELS, SAID TOP PANEL HAVING (A) A CUT-OUT STRUT HINGED TO SAID TOP PANEL AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY PARALLEL TO SAID SIDE PANELS TO AND PARTLY ACROSS SAID BOTTOM PANEL, SAID STRUT HAVING A HINGED FLAP ADHERED BETWEEN SAID OVERLAPPING EDGES OF SAID TWO SECTIONS OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL. 